Limonium plant named ‘Esm Arroz’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Limonium  plant named ‘Esm Arroz’, characterized by its erect, long and strong flowering stems; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; small white-colored flowers that do not fully open; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Limonium sinense.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Esm Arroz’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Limonium plant, botanically known as Limonium sinense, grown commercially as a cut flower, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Esm Arroz’.

The new Limonium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering Limonium cultivars with long and straight flowering stems.

The new Limonium originated from a open-pollination in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in February, 2000 of a proprietary selection of Limonium sinense identified as Line 57, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Limonium sinense. The cultivar Esm Arroz was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador.

Asexual reproduction of the new Limonium by cuttings in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador since February, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Limonium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Esm Arroz has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Esm Arroz’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Esm Arroz’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Limonium:

-   -   1. Erect, long and strong flowering stems.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Small white-colored flowers that do not fully open.     -   5. Good postproduction longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new Limonium differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Limonium were more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Flowers of the new Limonium did not fully open whereas         flowers of plants of the female parent selection opened.

Plants of the new Limonium can be compared to plants of the Limonium cultivar China White, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new Limonium differed from plants of the cultivar China White in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Limonium were more vigorous and had         stronger flowering stems than plants of the cultivar China         White.     -   2. Plants of the new Limonium had longer leaves than plants of         the cultivar China White.     -   3. Plants of the new Limonium were more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar China White.     -   4. Flowers of the new Limonium did not fully open whereas         flowers of plants of the cultivar China White opened.     -   5. Plants of the new Limonium had longer postproduction         longevity than plants of the cultivar China White.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Limonium. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Limonium. Clockwise from the upper left photograph: side perspective view of a typical flowering stem; close-up of a typical inflorescence; close-up view of upper and lower surfaces of typical leaves; and close-up view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Esm Arroz’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in ground beds in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial cut Limonium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 11° C. to 28° C., night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 11° C. and light levels ranged from 1,000 to 1,150 foot-candles. Plants were pinched. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical five-month old flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Limonium sinense cultivar Esm Arroz. -   Commercial classification: Cut flower Limonium. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Limonium             sinense identified as Line 57, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Limonium             sinense, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 15 to 20 days at 17° C. to 25°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About seven to nine weeks             at 17° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; 161B in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial subshrub grown as a cut flower. Erect             and strong flowering stems; inverted triangle form. Leaves             basal. Freely flowering habit; numerous flowers arranged in             symmetrical and moderately dense compound panicles. Vigorous             growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—After pinching, about 32 flowering stems             develop per year.         -   Plant height.—About 119 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 99 cm.         -   Flowering stems.—Length: About 119 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Internode length: About 5.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Immature, pubescent; mature, glabrescent. Color: 147A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 35 cm.         -   Width.—About 5.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly obovate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Crenate; undulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; waxy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 146A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 147A to 137A; venation, 157A. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 137B; venation, 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Compound cymes with numerous             flowers; flowers actinomorphic and symmetrical. Very freely             flowering, about 8,700 flowers per inflorescence. Flowers             face mostly upright.         -   Flowering response.—In Ecuador, plants flower year round.             Plants begin flowering about 16 weeks after planting.         -   Post-production longevity.—As a cut flower, flowers last for             about two weeks.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 119 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 72 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 7 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Fusiform. Color: Towards the apex, close to 155D;             towards the base, 144A.         -   Corolla.—Petals per flower: About four to eight. Petal             length: About 6 mm. Petal width: About 2 mm. Petal shape:             Irregular. Petal apex: Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire.             Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             membraneous. Petal color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 155D; towards the base, close to 145B.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 155D;             towards the base, close to 160C.         -   Calyx.—Sepals per flower: Five. Length: About 5 mm. Width:             About 6 mm. Shape: Salverform. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal             margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Sepal color: When opening, upper surface:             Close to 155D; throat, 146C. When opening, lower surface:             Close to 155D; tube, 144B. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 155D; throat, 144C. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 155D; tube, N144D.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 13.6 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: About 56° from vertical. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 147A.         -   Reproductive organs.—None observed.         -   Seeds.—None observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Limonium have been     observed to be resistant to Peronospora. Plants have not been shown     to be resistant to pests and other pathogens common to Limonium. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Limonium have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Limonium plant named ‘Esm Arroz’ as illustrated and described. 